#but since it’s sophie-centric I do not really care

[stewystew]

Anyway I love what they’re doing with Sophie’s character this season since her backstory was largely a mystery before this season which worked and I loved that too but in a sophie-centric season I love learning more about her especially as a follow up to the King George Job

[businesstiramisu]

Since I did say "more on this later" but now it’s later and i’m not sure i remember what exactly i wanted to say....... so this might be kinda rambly, sorry

But an idea that @animate-mush​ brought up in in her liveblogging, and that I’m definitely feeling in my watch, is that in season 1 of leverage the framing is very much that Nate is the Protagonist, the Serious Character with a Serious Backstory, and the rest of the team are Silly Criminals with their Amazing Talents but also Silly Quirks. You do get occasional sense of dramatic depth -- e.g. Parker’s concerns over the orphans in Serbia, and Hardison comforting her, digging into their histories growing up in foster care. But it’s mostly played for laughs -- Parkers “kleptomania” in the 12-step job (if that’s even real, I’m of 2 minds there), Sophie’s highly variable acting skills, Elliot’s heartbreaker history (also that “what were you doing” “liberating Croatia” joke -- not strictly impossible, but pretty implausible to me that Elliot’s old enough to have participated in the Croatian war for independence!! Maybe the line was meant to refer to the Balkan conflicts of the 90s more generally??)

anyways, I think this a bad framing, because Nate’s backstory and characterization come off at least as silly as the rest of them. Not the bare summary of it -- his son died, his life fell apart in recrimination and guilt, that’s pretty tragic, he’s still running instead of facing his grief and mistakes in handling it -- but a lot of the details don’t really add up, and the actual presentation on the show has a lot of narm. I think it would be easier to stomach if the show wasn’t trying so hard to convince us to take Nate’s pain more seriously than anyone else’s.

Season 2 seems to be taking steps to address this -- first, by having Nate show some signs of progress, and second by giving him a bit more of a back seat. Well, not the opening ep, that was very Nate-centric (and in very silly ways -- the flipping over exploding car?!), but the Tap-Out Job and the Order 23 Job had more serious character beats for Elliot, and the Fairy Godparents Job had some real good moments for Sophie!

Specifically on Elliot -- I mentioned before that this is a show I’m coming into with a lot of “fandom context” -- while I didn’t read most of the discussions very carefully but I’ve been seeing a lot of fandom things for this show since I really got into online fandom in 2020. One of the things I’ve picked up by fandom osmosis is that Elliot is a fan-favorite, with some major angst. 

“There’s a lot of good Eliot Spencer meta going around (which is what has inspired this) and the take home that he is not redemption seeking. He is assured in his damnation and is choosing to do good anyway, because at this point why not?”

and this is BIZARRE to read with only season 1 for context, because there is NOTHING angsty about Eliot in season 1. He’s a tough guy, he’s been involved in a lot of violence, but it’s always played for jokes, like Parker stealing the Hope Diamond and putting it back because she’s bored. It really sounds like the fandom is talking about a completely unrelated character. But we’re starting to see hints of... something... in s2, e.g. with Elliot explaining to Sophie in the Tap Out job that he’s sees fighting as a way to get back some control over your life. I’m eager to see what happens in the later seasons that leads to the fanon understanding of Elliot.

[faorism]

with a love so deep and warm and true [masterpost]

a 50k parker-centric character study, featuring ot3 and all of the significant friendships in parkers life. most fanart is sfw and can be shared without connection to the fic itself other than my mention of it in the body of the post. please note that while this is not a dark fic, this fiction is an extended depiction of a character reclaiming intimacy, healing their relationship to their body, and establishing a sense of safety after experiencing childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a foster parent. as such, it includes many major themes that many readers may want to skip. full list of tags and content warnings are included on ao3, but some major ones are csa, food issues, light d/s, canon character death, references to alcoholism and sobriety, homelessness, and ableism. please take care if you choose to read.

read on ao3: Parker chose young to be really good at being bad—the very best—and since has made a lot of other choices of similar magnitude, like falling in love and in friendship, like seeking help and support, like deciding to not be alone anymore, and (perhaps the hardest of all) finding shelter for a wounded heart. || Eleven times Parker shares a bed and heals along the way.

tumblr promo post, with parker fanart in the header.

i'll be your shelter by taylor dane [lyrics used for title]: version one and version two, both are highly recommended.

parker/hardison [fanart]: Shortly after Dubai, when Hardison hums to her to keep her calm and proves he's got her back and won't let her fall, it starts to click for Parker. Slowly. Surely. And maybe it started before that, too. But…Parker looks at Hardison after Dubai and thinks, yes. She kisses Hardison and thinks, can't wait for the next one. She gets sleepy after playing video games with him and thinks, maybe tonight I stay.

parker/hardison/eliot [fanart]: They are in sync, coordinated through their familiarity built over the past four and a half years. It's why they came back after every walk away, and it's why they own a brewpub together now, and it's what saved them in DC, and it's why when they do finally do it for the first time, Parker knows it's gonna be so good; it's a familiarity held within this potential thing between them for as long as they've kept it, even before Parker and Hardison named for each other Eliot's place in their hearts.

parker & peggy [fanart]: Friendship is a kind of work. It’s a kind of opening up. It’s a kind of something. Something stable. Something important. Parker wants Peggy to know Parker as herself. It’s not a question of if that’s gonna happen—Parker realizes just before she closes her eyes to sleep—but when.

bunny | parker/eliot | parker & bre | parker & hurley [four fanart grouping]: She chose to be good as a bad guy, and she's long chosen to be herself, and she's chosen to fall in love and in friendship, and she's chosen to not be alone in leadership. And that background has given her the ability to become an awesome boss and, she thinks, a good partner and a fun friend.

parker | parker & sophie | parker & nate [three fanart grouping]: She sinks into the vanity chair, ignoring how unnerved she feels at the faint line of her reflection in the mirror. Parker is used to the slivers of herself caught in lowlight, obviously, but there's a humility in how she's hunched that makes even this—a contour in her periphery—seem like a stranger rather than a friend.

[poppys-writing]

The Missionaries, Part 1

A/N: new Box Boy series here, but this time it’s more caretaker/comfort centric! I hope you all will enjoy this new take on the Box Boy universe and whump in general. Once again, credit goes to @sweetwhumpandhellacomf and @shameless-whumper for creating this wonderful sub-genre of whump that continues to thrive. Thanks for reading and feel free to check out my masterlist!

Noah woke up to the same rattling of the tiny, rusty plane, dark clouds hanging ominously outside the plane window. He thought that the headache would disappear with a long nap, but it was still as bad (if not worse). Looking across the aisle was Ruthie, who was awake when he fell asleep and was still awake now, her leg tapping incessantly into the metal floor and her hands fiddling nervously with her coat. “You nervous?” He hollered across the aisle to her; the drone of the plane along with the deafening engine made him worry that she wouldn’t even be able to hear him. 

She jumped, apparently freaked out by his voice. Her head snapped to face him, her gentle brown curls whipping around even though they were secured in a ponytail. Nonetheless, she flashed him a wide smile, though her eyes didn’t sparkle with joy like they usually do. “No, no, not at all,” she reassured him with a nod. “Why do you ask?”

He held her gaze for a moment, considering pointing out her fidgety behavior, but ultimately decided against it. He didn’t want to be rude. “Uhh, no reason,” he quickly dismissed, a couple of chuckles escaping as he moved to rub the back of his neck. “I’m a little bit nervous,” Noah lied. He wasn’t nervous at all. Should he be? 

“Oh, you are?” Ruthie returned back, head cocking to one side. She could see right through his lie; Noah never gets nervous, even when he should be. They’re going to a foreign country, serving for the first time as medical aid, even though they haven’t become doctors yet. In addition to that, they’ll be in one of the biggest human trafficking hubs in the world for two months, treating the victims of the beast that will be breathing down their neck. Yeah, he should be worried about that. “Well you have no reason to be freaked. It’ll be a good experience!” Ruthie lied through her teeth. 

Before Noah could get another word in, Ruthie turned back to the window to gaze out at the ominous clouds and overthink everything, effectively ending the conversation. So, without any vocal company, Noah decided to gaze at the empty seats of the plane and imagine the companions they could’ve had. Sophie, Tyler, Jonathan, Mary, Rebecca, Elijah and Esther, Cindy, Jane, Rob and Will. So many of their friends that were supposed to accompany, but all dropped out for various reasons. Mary didn’t have time or money to get the appropriate vaccinations; Tyler, Esther and Cindy couldn’t raise enough money to go and had to work over the summer anyways; Sophie, Jonathan, Rebecca, Elijah, Jane and Rob’s parents all wouldn’t let them go because they thought the trip would be “too dangerous.” Noah didn’t blame them; with human trafficking statistics rising by the day in Belarus and travel advisories announced, he considered not going too. But, Ruthie coming from a family of turn-or-burn preachers and missionary leaders, her parents refused to let her back out of it. Ruthie even offered to request a transfer to somewhere a bit safer than Belarus, but her parents insisted that she finish what she started. There was no way Noah could let her go halfway across the world by herself, so he stayed on, suppressing his nerves once again to go into the belly of the beast. 

So now it’s the two of them. Ruthie’s a nice gal. Being in the same friend group in college, they got along and enjoyed one another simply due to mutual friends, but never became close and drifted even further apart during medical school. Leading up to the trip, they went out to lunch and hung out and studied together so they could bond before spending the next two months in a dangerous foreign country together. In that time, Noah discovered her to be nicer than he thought, funnier than he expected, and cuter than she was before.

The plane began its decent into Minsk, the capital and only city with an international airport. The dark clouds and turbulence broke to the city covered in a steady rain that drummed against the plane windows. From the sky, the Stalinist architecture evidently hasn’t been touched up in decades. Still, there was something beautiful about the tall, dreary buildings. The dark windows held the ups and downs of millions of people: mothers bringing home their child, businessmen saving their company, marriages that fall apart, loved ones that pass on, and also hundreds of thousands of people involved one way or another in the Box Boy industry. 

Since the Box Boy and Babe industries had been outlawed in the United States almost six years ago, the American government cracked down on human trafficking so hard that the industry had to completely relocate out of red, white and blue borders. Minsk being a major hub even prior to the U.S. breakdown, it was naturally the next best choice. On the bright side, human trafficking in North America became virtually nonexistent. On the down side, Noah and Ruthie are now in the heart of it all once more. 

The plane landed, emptying out its two Americans and their luggage and moving on to pick up some other human cargo. Who would be the next people sitting in their seats? Box Boy moguls, or Box Boy victims? Noah shuddered at the thought, lugging his bag across the slick tarmac towards a van with the familiar Christian Missionary Alliance symbol plastered all over its side. As they sauntered across the runway, which seemed to get longer with every step, Ruthie and Noah could feel the eyes of the ground controllers and travelers following them. Some of them were angry and disdainful, while others were hopeful and trusting - hopefully they’d encounter more of the latter once they get to the mission house. 

Ruthie and Noah loaded their bags into the back of the van, piling in and shedding their raincoats. Ruthie’s ponytail had frizzed up in the rain, poofing out in every direction. Stop staring, Noah internally scolded himself, but it was too late. Their eyes met again, but this time he was inches from her face - he could see the honey-colored flecks littering her brown eyes, watch her dimples form as she smiled back at him. Does she have a boyfriend? Maybe he should ask that once this whole don’t-get-human-trafficked thing is over. 

The van lurched into motion, Noah and Ruthie lurching along with them. A little laugh escaped her lips as she clutched on to Noah’s arm for stability, while he reached for the handle above to secure the both of them. Even after the ride got steadier, Ruthie still clutched his arm. 

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, the driver turned around and flashed the both of them a toothy smile, a gold tooth barely visible. “Welcome to Belarus!” he warmly greeted them with a thick slavic, even though they had been riding in the car for a while now. “We go pick up for other missionaries, then drive. You’ll be settled by dark.”

Casual conversation commenced until the van turned into the parking lot of a run down motel. Three missionaries from Spain, a couple from Germany, and two friends from Australia piled into the rickety old car. Polite greetings were exchanged and all got settled in for the couple hour drive to the house.

Minsk rolled by Ruthie’s window, the business-centric neighborhood that the airport was surrounded by turning residential. With that shift came what she was dreading: the Box Boys and Box Babes. Back home, when it was legal, she still became nauseated at the sight of a human being owned by another human being, and she didn’t even see it that much publicly in small town Idaho. Here, however, it seemed to be commonplace. Some men or women were leashed - leashed! - to powerful looking men and women that strode through the streets like they owned the place. Some girls trailed behind men with nasty grimaces, keeping their head down and hands folded in front of them. Some boys walked beside women with large heels and an entourage. It was disgusting. Absolutely revolting. Apparently west coast mega cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco were just like this, but by the time Ruthie made it there the business was already outlawed. How did the United States even legalize this? How could anybody legalize this? Ruthie wanted to pound of the windows, to jump out of the van and shout at everyone for their tolerance of this injustice. Instead, she let tears well in her eyes, clinging tighter to Noah’s arm.

Noah wasn’t looking out of the window just for that reason. He kept his eyes focused on his hands in his lap, or his watch, or just closed them. He already knows what it looks like, and he’d rather not see it again. When he felt Ruthie clutch at his arm even tighter, he nudged her with his shoulder to get her attention away from the window. It worked, and she quickly turned her head towards him, frantically rubbing away tears. “You okay?” Noah posed, careful to keep his voice down.

“I don’t know,” Ruthie shrugged, trying her best to smile at him. She does that. Instead of being sad, she decides to smile - it doesn’t really work all the time. “It’s just...I’d only heard about it, never actually seen what it looks like until now. It’s bad, Noah, this is really bad.”

Noah sadly nodded his head. Oh, if only she knew the worst of it. Sweet Ruthie with her naive small-town mindset. He wouldn’t trade her for the world, but sometimes he wished he could tell her the truth without ruining her endless joy and kindness. “I know, I know. We’re here to help though, don’t forget that,” he tried to reassure her. Noah’s not the best at comfort - since he rarely gets nervous, he doesn’t know how to deal with this fearful emotions.

“Hopefully our help is enough,” Ruthie responsed, casting her head down towards her hands instead of outside the window.

Noah surveyed the bus, just like he surveyed the plane. This bus was supposed to be filled with their closest friends, all journeying together to fight the evils of man and heal those who had fallen victim to corruption. Hopefully this van will be filled at all when the mission ends.

[annashipper]

JT Anon

Ok so this is going to be a wildly unpopular opinion that you will wholeheartedly disagree w Anna, but here goes

I kinda hope they phase BC out of the MCU. Im not one of these fans that wants him to fail or to vanish forever or will never see another project until he leaves sophie (i don’t think thats ever going to happen). I just don’t think he fits w the MCU anymore and he is kinda, to me, a bummer stain on an otherwise fun experience.

The actors in the MCU are literally the only actors I’ve ever taken a mild interest in outside of their movie roles. Meaning i won’t immediately change the channel if they are on late night, or I might flip through a mag if they are in there, or im actually interested in their thoughts on their char.

The actors in the MCU, for the most part, are super engaging. They engage the fan base in  a really great way. Now granted, I get it, lots of that is coaching etc, I get that. However, the actors all engage w the material and the fanbase in a really great way. they have lovable personalities, they all seem humble and grateful and excited to be there. Even RDJ who plays on this kinda ego centric char he has is totally endearing and everyone gets it. They make the fan base feel like they are all a part of something, everyone is in it together, they genuinely want everyone to have a great time, they get how much these stories can mean to a lot of people.

Now im sure someone can pull up an anecdote here or there where MCU actors have not been their best selves, but for the most part, MCU actors make the fanbase feel loved and valued. MCU fans are not talked down to by them. Each actor has a unique and lovable personality that is engaging

BC sticks out like a sore thumb. He isn’t delivering DRS and MCU toys to hospitals, he doesn’t have social media, so he isn’t engaging w elements of the fanbase that does charity work. He doesn’t talk excitedly about DRS and MCU projects, he doesn’t comment on fan art and projects in a respectful way (ignoring the freakier ones). Now i know the dusted actors were not doing the rounds media wise, but still

Ben just comes off as someone who thinks he is above all that. All i see and think about when i think about BC and MCU fans is a guy who is just so sick of fans. Fans are all obsessed w him and won’t they go away. anyone who doesn’t worship him and dares to chat in a neg way about what he is putting out is a stalker, florals, they are all so tiring! poor, poor women who lost themselves when he married, your uteruses still have use w out him! he just seems like he doesn’t want to be there and is delusional about how much people care about him beyond gossip and riling each other up for fun

To me BC is in a totally different category from the other main MCU actors. BC is running around to the MET gala acting a fool, Ben is running around too busy trying to sell every single stitch of clothing on his body. ben is too busy branding and selling his family. ben is trying to wring every last red cent out of every move he makes.

And before anyone jumps down my throat w a long list of products MCU actors sell, I KNOW. its about the feel of it.

Ben these days comes off as a stuck up, toffy snob who doesn’t want to be there. Ben comes off as someone who has disdain for his fans, and while he def wants them to keep him and his wife in expensive vegan clothing and millionaire status, they need to just shut the fuck  up and hand over the cash. Ben comes off as someone who is entitled to fame and attention, but on his terms. Ben comes off as someone desperate to merch and brand himself. Ben comes off as someone waaaay more concerned at the moment w selling every single article of clothing he and his wife has, every single life event he can get a sponsor for.

His image is a bummer ink stain on the MCU. He is like the stuck up boring cousin at the fun family reunion who spends his whole time pouting on his phone. the only time he engages is when he is the absolute centre of attention, and he has to be making cash money off of it or he isn’t interested. he is like that one person at school who won’t shut up about how many haters they have and how jealous everyone is of them, and how he just wants to do him, meanwhile no one is actually thinking about him like that.

Think of any MCU actor and you can think of cute, funny, humble, joyful, REAL feeling fan engagement.

W BC you just get a grown ass man whining, pouting, doesn’t want to be there, would rather be selling shoes and shirts and hats

as a fan i have absolutely no interest in him as an MCU actor. I don’t want to sit there and have my eyes roll out of my head while he either sells me some product or makes some delusional comment about how obsessed, OBSESSED EVERYONE is w him and his family and WHY WON’T THEY JUST LEEEAAAVE HIM AND HIS WIIIFE ALONE (ps please buy these shoes, please buy sophies dress, please check out this vendor that sponsored our wedding, please look at the menu of the person making vegan food for us, please buy the pictures of our kids please please please)

he  has moved on from depressing to why don’t you just leave then? honestly?you would rather be throwing yourself all over a red carpet and selling clothing and jewellery and cars and vegan shoes  and talking about how hard it is to be you because youre so famous, then go do that. go do period piece after period piece in between selling washing machines. i might even see one.

BC is like getting together w your fav cousins and your mom say you have to take the annoying one along too, and he just ruins your day by complaining about being tired all the time and talking about all the expensive shit his dad in another state buys him

just let us check out fan theory and make memes and talk shit and watch interviews in peace. STFU about the stuff you have for sale. STFU about how obsessed everyone is. go to the met gala, go arrange paps for attention. just GO live the fame life you clearly think you have. let people enjoy MCU shit w out you popping in every few months to remind us that youre here too and SO SO FAMOUS

its getting to kinda ruin MCU shit to me. If i know BC will be involved, im not interested.

I just don’t want to hear him whine, and i don’t want to have another fucking thing sold to me, and thats all he’s got

J got sooooo many haters T anon

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Well, you’re right in one regard JT.  I wholeheartedly disagree with all of the above.  Not because I’m contrary and a SkeptoNanny (which of course I am), but because you’re wrong  :P

Ben didn’t do ANY promo for Endgame, so if we’re going to talk about him being a killjoy during promo for MCU projects, we have to revisit what he’s done during Doctor Strange and Infinity War promo.

And while, yes, he did make a faux pas (a pretty major one) with that incredibly stupid quote on his Vanity Fair cover interview where he thought it wise to casually mention his wife and child are not a PR stunt, other than that, his promo tour for Doctor Strange was pretty much the same as any other promo for a standalone superhero movie within the MCU.  

And then there was Infinity War promo, which was more about promoting the MCU than it was about promoting himself.  I would argue that he actually did a stellar job with that.  He even brought quite a bit of DorkyBatch out to play:

I mean...

So yeah.  If we’re going to have a serious conversation, we have to be very precise about the timing of what Ben says and does; especially when it comes to MCU promo.

Meanwhile, since you brought up charity projects linked to the MCU, let me remind you that Ben has been involved with those multiple times, through Omaze, and he even did it for Endgame (which he supposedly would have no part in and didn’t really have to do, because his character had already been dusted out of existence).

By the way, the shoes he’s selling are not always vegan.  Not the ones he wore to the MET Gala (LINK) anyway  :P

[rorykillmore]

i don't think anyone's asked you, so how are your characters going to celebrate new years? or, if you'd prefer, how about valentine's day?

clearly this is an OLD ask that i never got to but i think i’d already done a new year’s ask at some point anyway, so,

valentine’s day!

lucille is. there are some holidays she can settle for just being kind of ambivalent about but i think valentine’s day would be one she’d be kind of repulsed by,

not that she doesn’t have some romantic, poetic tendencies but she just.... wouldn’t like a holiday centered around romantic relationships, all things considered. she probably won’t even really react to it or do anything different than normal. maybe her and maria can be valentine’s day grinches together,

siobhan is probably one of those people who go on about how it’s a hallmark holiday and a CAPITALIST EXCUSE even though she mysteriously doesn’t care about capitalism any other day of the year! i feel like siobhan is one of those people who does something, like, spiteful on valentine’s day. like. idk. she just starts handing out these cards, 

sara doesn’t get openly sappy about it but she will, of course, spend it with nyssa. how many times have they gotten to spend a normal valentine’s day together?? probably just... last year? anyway i can never decide whether they’d do something quiet or lowkey or something obnoxiously extra. probably the latter though since their love lives the rest of the year are pretty quiet and lowkey. sara and nyssa. idk. rent out a fucking penthouse,

my cats don’t celebrate. someone tell tigerstar and badgerstripe about it!,

dolores would spend it with laurel, although she’s still kinda feeling out like. what this holiday even means. particularly to laurel, specifically. if laurel like... wanted to do something quieter or even just wanted some alone time or something, that’d be okay with dolores, because it’s not a holiday she’s OVERLY invested in getting to experience. all the couple-centric stuff would probably weird her out a bit, honestly. but she’d make sure to get laurel some kind of gift either way

sophie-anne is not gonna go out and celebrate valentine’s day with ANYONE. her admirers have to come to HER and lavish HER in gifts and then maybe if they’re impressive enough it’s a good opportunity for a fling if nothing else,

although idk. maybe something will prompt her to casually drop by and see what cloud is doing. hmm. 

camille is like. valentine’s day isn’t even something she’s especially... mopey about, it’s just so unimpressive and uninteresting to her. she’s never really had a serious romantic relationship to angst over losing,the concept of romance itself doesn’t really... mean a whole lot to her normally. although... idk, this year she might be thinking about richard a little bit. someone should prevent that atrocity from happening. Distract Her.

otherwise she’ll probably treat it like any other day, honestly

sly... well, carmelita isn’t here, so in an effort not to mope about that and all the things he Never Got To Tell her, he’ll probably go out and just make the day nice for someone! like, if there’s anyone he knows who’s feeling a little bit down about the holiday, he might take them on a nice Friend Date and spoil them a little bit just to make them (and himself) feel a little better

susie might actually be my character Most Likely To Spend Valentine’s Day moping. well, if you could call it that. she doesn’t... resent the holiday or anything, but it’s also not much of an occasion for her to do anything except think about the people she’s lost recently. she might end up doing something sad and pensive, i don’t know. though for her “sad and pensive” can mean like, wandering out to someones gardens and making all of them bloom extravagantly, so, you know,

delia doesn’t have any strong feelings about valentine’s day. the first couple of years after her marriage... you know, imploded, might have been difficult for her, but she’s over that now. mostly. she’s too BUSY to have feelings about this.

though honestly she might legitimately try to set eddie and the symbiote up, it kind of depends on where this falls during our upcoming Symbiote Plot, which is probably happening pretty soon after the site revamp...

for alana it really kind of depends... what her relationship with margot looks like at that point, because who the fuck knows. but even if they’re not TOGETHER together by then, considering their like... mutual attraction and growing fondness for each other, she’d probably think it’s appropriate to get margot something small and casual, like flowers or something. i just remembered your headcanon that margot would be really into flower language too. tread VERY carefully alana,

and then villanelle spending valentine’s day on denny aka 101 Transparent Coping Mechanisms That CLEARLY Aren’t Sulking About Eve. i was gonna say she might find someone to have a fling with but honestly i could see her like. taking it a step further and like, finding someone to just flatter and shower in attention and expensive gifts for a little while on valentine’s day and then when it’s over and the other person is like “so what are we” she’s like. “okay well enjoy your stuff, bye!” and go sulk somewhere because it didn’t make her feel any better

[italicwatches]

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online - Episode 06

I should probably watch some anime today. It’s Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, episode 06! Here we GO!

-It’s February 11th, just a bit after the Squad Jam. And LLENN is in GGO, down in the cash shop where THEY HAVE A NEW P90 IN STOCK FUCK YEAHHHHHHH! P-chan, daughter of P-chan, is born! LLENN loves her submachine guns so much. It’s a wholesome love between a woman and her gun.

-And hey, there’s Eva! What’s the Boss doing in a place like this?

-Opening! You know, sidenote, I’m wondering if GGO has some level of self-identity thing going on. Like, it’s one thing that Karen and Saki each happened to get a form that matched who they wanted to be…But the entire team of tiny girls who wish they were bigger and got more respect, waking up in GGO as tall, buff amazons? On top of Karen, who wants to be cute and adorable and the little spoon, waking up as literally the smallest size the system allows? That feels a little too unlikely to just be the odds.

-The 15th. It’s the post-credits from episode one, as the whole of Saki’s crew is there watching the highlights from Karen’s performance in the Squad Jam, and seeing just how much crazy shit she pulled off before they fought her. You’re a MONSTER, Karen-san! A total BADASS!

-Karen is still trying to properly hook this gaggle of adorable schoolgirls she’s somehow befriended, to the terrifying amazons who pushed her to the brink. Saki is all huffy about how Karen is still kind of scared of Eva. Well what about Sophie, huh? Look at their gunner, she’s huge!

-Yeah but she has a gentler demeanor, as we start getting connections. So, Saki is Eva. Kana, with the bob cut, is Sophie. Mi, the blonde, has the sharpshooter Toma, and has learned to drive stick because she’s been overseas. The one with those cutesy rounded eyebrows, Shiori, is Roza the other heavy-gunner. Their second sniper is Moe, who is deeply embarrassed about how she puts on such cool airs in the game. And then there’s Risa, who is Tanya the scout, the closest to anyone’s real self…But still tall and muscled, just the sleek muscles of a runner.

-So that’s the whole gang! By schoolday, they are but the humble high school rhythmic gymnastics club. But by night, they are a vicious crew…And they’re here to talk strategy. They want to walk through the entire encounter and figure out where they dropped the ball! They’re in your care, Karen-san!

-Episode 06! “SAO Loser”

-Also they devour the snacks she gives them because they are, after all, athletic teenagers. And it turns out they’ve only known each other since last April, when they all joined the club…And they were fucking terrible. It’s actually why they got into VR gaming, to learn to communicate physically and sync up properly…After their coach got fed up and quit on them.

-As for why GGO? IT was the fact that it was so different, so far out of their usual context, that they could start from zero and not the outright negative position they were in with their actual sports. A crisp, clear goal, that they all knew they knew nothing about accomplishing. And of course, it’s just plain a good game, so they got super hooked on it!

-Which is why now they’ve got to push for victory in the next proper Squad Jam! What about rhythmic gymnastics…? That too. BUT ESPECIALLY GGO. Now, will you be in the next one?!

-Karen’s…Not so sure. This was kind of sprung on her. She’s not gonna say no, but she can’t say yes. And she doesn’t even know if M will keep playing, let alone want to team up with her again going forward…

-…Saki is sad now. But eventually, they’re all ready to head out, and Karen’s got to get ready for her big trip back to her parents’ place for spring break. Saki is still sad about not having a LLENN to war against in the inevitable next Squad Jam.

-The 24th. Karen’s back in her hometown, out with Miyu, and kind of wishing neither of those things were the case judging by the look on her face. Miyu keeps taking photos of her new look and she saw the highlight reel of you and that M guy! You kicked ASS! Tell her everything, everything! What made you want to split up from M? That was BANANAS!

-So Miyu learns everything…And yeah this Pito chick sounds like a nutter. Just make sure she never knows your meatspace identity and you’ll be fine. Oh, hey, this karaoke bar has some new Elsa songs! You wanna do one? Miyu’s gonna do one. They are gonna get that next set of concert tickets!

-A few days later, Karen’s on the plane back home, and gets a promo email saying that the second Squad Jam has just been announced for early April.

-Sidenote, these things don’t make any sense. Like, look, it was…fifteen teams to start, right? That means the absolute maximum player count in a single Squad Jam is 90 people, holding the 2-6 size limit. Both of the major battle royale centric games right now, PUBG and especially Fortnite (but especially Bart) can rack up a hundred players in…about 30 seconds, give or take. Even in their own squad modes, from what I’ve seen it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to get into a match, tops.

-Now, okay, that’s on an American game audience, with something that uses heavy amounts of cross-play and can be played on an incredible variety of devices. So I will freely admit it’s not a 1:1 comparison to VR. But unless the Japanese server only has a couple thousand people on it, tops, getting 30-90 people into a match shouldn’t be the kind of thing so huge it only happens once every few months…Because if it is, how the hell is the game able to keep running and pay for what I have to imagine would be much better servers than an ordinary FPS, to deal with the immense amount of data a full-dive VR player would be sending?

-I know I’m overthinking it, and they’re getting the feel of gaming right. It’s just…I don’t know. Kind of weird the way they’re trying to make the Squad Jams, as an entire concept, into these big Events when that’s not how this shit works. Anyways, it’s another personal sponsorship, with some fine tuned rules, and any of the top four teams are pre-seeded if they choose to enter.

-Oh, and then Saki emailed Karen immediately because WOOOOO SECOND SQUAD JAM! Also, her message is full of more emojis and text emoticons than I think I’ve ever seen in one place. Also Saki wants to eat her treats again so please invite them over sometime soon. …Shit, that kid is blunt.

-When Karen gets back to her place, she finds a guy waiting for her who gets WAYYYY too close and it’s M. So that removes one possibility I had. And now she’s twice freaked out because how the fuck did he find her? Can they go somewhere private to talk about that? Because shit’s gotten Real.

-And that’s how they end up in a little cafe area in the apartment building, I think? Hard to say. But, bluntly, M has to admit that he has no proof of any of his claims, but there’s some shit you need to know. Also, he gives a real name, one Asougi Goushi. Goushi is RIGHT UP ON HER and begging for her help because people’s lives are, for real, on the line.

-His, and Pito’s. …Oh fuck me, what is Pito doing. She’s insane, and they both know it. She’s going to participate, and form a team…And in real life, she said she intends to kill herself if she doesn’t take the gold. But not until she confirms his death.

-Karen would like off this ride now please. This is ludicrous and you should go to the police.

-But…Well, here’s the deal. You know the SAO Incident, right? Thousands of people locked in, forced to fight for their lives. Pito…Wasn’t in that group. She was a beta tester, and became obsessed with the game. On launch day, something came up. She had to delay her entrance into it for just a few hours…Enough for the lockdown to happen, and SAO to become a sealed bubble she couldn’t enter.

-She watched it all on the news. She watched everyone else go through the greatest crucible of their lives. And it broke her. That she lost her shot at entering that crucible, turned her inside out. To have a chance to burn her life out in battle…Ever since VR games became popular again, she’s been throwing every spare moment she had into them. But they don’t satisfy her yearning for the void.

-For a little while, though, things were…stable. Until the SAO Incident was solved, and the survivors started talking. Pito had to confront her ‘lost opportunity’, and learned about the player killers, who committed genuine murder inside the world of SAO. Most of the deaths, outside of those first few chaotic days, were in fact from player killers or from self-defense against them.

-Other sidenote, I don’t know if it’s just one of those Manga Things where shit gets enshrined and used and reused because it’s an easily understood story path, but Japanese gaming culture seems to have this really different attitude towards PvP and attacking other players in general.

-And Pito…Pito envied them. Their chance to put their lives on the line, to kill or be killed. To be them or to strike them down. That’s how fucking insane Pito is!

-Things weren’t so bad when she was burning of steam in GGO…But then she missed the Squad Jam, the first big script-changer event! And it’s caused a relapse. …So she’s going to try and turn Squad Jam 2: Gunfire Boogaloo into a death game. Yes, yes! So again. Why not the cops or professionals.

-…He can’t. Pito’s too important to him. If he goes to the police or psychiatrists, she’ll be killed, jailed or put in a psychiatric ward, and if they try to lock her up she’ll find a way to kill herself. She’d die, and not before destroying herself in the eyes of all the people who rely on her.

-…This is over her pay grade, man. She can’t help you here.

-KABEDON

-Goushi corners her up with the very important move that is Kaibedon, and look. He, loves, Pito! That’s why he has to find a way for this to end in her survival, so he can get her back to center! Karen’s first kabedon, and it’s to hear a guy confess his love for someone else. This is bullshit.

-So they end up sitting back down, with Goushi drinking black coffee, which he hates, but he drinks it because Pito likes it. …Dude just have a sweet drink and mellow. So, okay, talk it out. What’s your plan and why aren’t you scared like when she had P-chan aimed at your damn head?

-Because his real fear isn’t death…It’s leaving Pito behind without him there to keep her grounded. Say he dies. Hell, say Pito kills him. Then…Then what. What if she doesn’t have the will to kill herself? What if she tries for suicide by cop, or worse, what if she breaks down and her resolve cracks entirely? She’d be destroyed. She wouldn’t even have the dignity of death, she’d have a hollow life.

-And okay, explain in very small words how Karen’s supposed to help.

-Enter the SJ 2, face Pito, and defeat her in battle!

-…WHAT?!

-You are the one person who she will accept a defeat from. She made that promise to you! If you defeat her honestly, and if she knows it’s an honest fight…She’ll be stuck to her promise. She’ll have to stay alive, so she can meet you. And that’ll give him time, to pull her back to center and out of this relapse state.

-…This is insane. This is ludicrous. But…If it’s the only option on the board…Guess she’s entering.

-Credits!

-Aftercredits! Karen’s back in bed, and now has Goushi’s personal email as a way to talk…But Karen needs someone to enter with. Who the hell can LLENN rely…on…Miyu! MIYU SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP! …Miyu is so fucking down. They’re gonna rage, Karen!

I guess SAO’s gonna SAO, huh. Gotta be honest, I would’ve enjoyed this more without the death game angle. But oh well, let’s try and enjoy ourselves next time, in episode SIX of SAO Alt: GGO! Wait for it!

[artpharos]

@aurantia-ignis was telling me to consider a Lambda-centric Graces Timetravel AU but unfortunately for her I’ve considered this for years

So here’s my ridiculously self-indulgent Tales of Graces Lambda-centric Timetravel AU in point form because idk if I’ll ever have time to write this (under cut because long):

At the end of the game, after being beaten, Sophie’s about to self-destruct and kill both herself/Lambda. Before Asbel does his heroic sacrifice stuff, Lambda summons all his power to blast Sophie- only to end up sending himself through time because something something proximity to the core lots of eleth something (idk look I need this timetravel AU and I will bend all rules to get what I want)

Lambda wakes up (with a body) somewhere on the Road to Gralesyde. He’s kinda powerless because he kinda used up all his eleth. He’s discovered by Asbel/Richard/Sophie and he realizes he’s been sent to the past. And he’s like ‘YAY GOOD THIS IS A SECOND/THIRD/FOURTH CHANCE FOR ME TO DO OVER AND ACTUALLY GET TO THE CORE’. Also he gives them a really stupid alias which I haven’t figured out yet but whatever.  

So he’s thorny and tries to push the other three away but he realizes he can’t go anywhere on his own since even a monster is too much for him to handle (RIP Lambda). So he ends up tagging along with them.

So throughout the plot up to Barona he’s like just biding his time and waiting for the chance to kill Sophie/give his other self the chance to take over Richard and get to the core/probably poking a lot at Asbel’s insecurities/running away from Pascal (because she’s curious as to what the heck is he). But unfortunately along the way he starts to care for the party in small ways.

When it comes to the Richard vs Sophie showdown in Lhant, Lambda intervenes by trying to protect Asbel/Hubert and he finds himself unable to reconcile his actions with his goals.

Nevertheless he continues to tag along with Asbel and party as they travel through Strahta/Fendel and he waxes poetic about how life is suffering and the party starts to tell him that it’s okay as long as everyone works together everyone can live in peace <3 He scoffs at this notion still of course.

But over the course of the journey he starts questioning his own previously held hatred towards humanity/Sophie. He decides that he doesn’t want to destroy the world, he just wants to live in peace in the core, and he resolves to persuade his current timeline self about that.

Then during Worlds’ Eye he tries to do just that but CurrentTimeline!Lambda is a stubborn bastard and he/Richard stabs Sophie. 

Lambda feels guilty over how much suffering he’s caused the party and he ends up helping Sophie a lot during the journey to Fodra- somewhere along the line she admits she’s really thankful to be his friend, which utterly shatters him.

When the party boards the shuttle and they get attacked by the nova monsters, Lambda acts and ends up knocked out by the effort. 

Upon landing on Fodra, the party brings both him/Sophie to Telos Astue where they wake Emeraude up. Emeraude is immediately suspicious about Lambda- because he looks similar to how he used to be, but she doesn’t say anything about it just yet.

After going through the laboratory to save Sophie and fighting her memories of Lambda/seeing the recording of Cornell+Lambda, Lambda realizes the gig is up and admits who he is. When Sophie tries to attack him, he runs away.

Asbel eventually talks Sophie around to not attacking Lambda on sight and they try to find him. Emeraude is all for killing him but the rest of the party shuts her down. 

Because he’s not fully recovered, Lambda ends up hiding in the cliffs or something until Sophie and the others find him. He finally and miserably explains everything- except the part where Sophie was about to kill him. He reassures the party he doesn’t want to destroy the world anymore- and begs them for the chance to talk CurrentTimeline!Lambda around. They agree.

Because they still have to fix the shuttle and stuff, there’s still some time before they return to Ephinea. In the meantime, Sophie gets all cold towards Lambda because of her ‘mission’- they both have trouble reconciling with the truth. He reverts to calling her Protos Heis around now. 

Thus when the party crash lands in World’s Eye again, Lambda runs off without the rest of the party to confront his current timeline self. 

Unfortunately running off alone is a bad idea. CurrentTimeline!Lambda can’t believe that he’d ever be this weak, and reminds Lambda of all the suffering they’ve endured for the past thousand years- and reminds him that nobody will ever accept him once they know the truth about him.

Lambda tries to fight him on his own but gets his ass handed to him. Also CurrentTimeline!Lambda tries to exert control over him because something something creatures that are infected with Lambda’s cells end up being under his control so by that logic both Lambdas can sorta control the other if they try hard enough.

When the rest of the party catch up they save him. Sophie tries to destroy CurrentTimeline!Lambda, and Emeraude attacks her- except because he’s from the future Lambda sees this coming and shields her from the attack. Plot progresses as usual- CurrentTimeline!Lambda destroys Emeraude, makes some remark to our Lambda about how he shouldn’t forget what they’ve been through, and Lambda passes out. 

He wakes up in Lhant and after everything is explained to him he apologizes to the party for trying to do everything on his own- and for all the suffering he’s caused the world. Asbel gives him a pep talk about how people need second chances, and how he counts Lambda as a friend. The others- barring Sophie- agree.

He waits for the party to return from Lhant Hill then ends up having a heart-to-heart with Sophie. She still has trouble accepting him, but remembers how he protected her. He doesn’t blame her. When she asks him why he hated her so much, he reluctantly tells her how she attacked him under her programming. She’s shaken, and he tries to comfort her, reminding her that she’s changed- and that if anyone deserves a second chance, it’s her. 

Then they go to the Ghardria Shaft and Lambda backstory exploration shakes the party up a bit, but Lambda assures them that it doesn’t mitigate anything he’s done. This obviously leaves a deep impression on Asbel/Sophie. 

They fight CurrentTimeline!Lambda, save Richard, and in the end Lambda steps forward and blocks everyone off from his defeated counterpart. He merges with CurrentTimeline!Lambda.

Thankfully, he maintains control, even though he remembers all his negative memories/feelings more intensely. Then he turns towards the core.

Pascal probably mentions that without the Core being drained of enough eleth to be stable to merge with him, Lambda is essentially going to die if he enters the core as he is.

Because I’m dramatic af, Lambda throws himself off the cliff edge into the core- only to be stopped when someone grabs his hand. It’s Sophie- she doesn’t want him to die. 

He’s surprised- after everything he’s done, he doesn’t deserve a second chance, he says. But she disagrees and refuses to let go- because after everything he’s done to protect them, she wants him to get his second chance too. Asbel joins in and grabs his other hand- ‘don’t you want to live?’ he asks.

The rest of the party hauls him up and they all have a group hug and everyone goes home happy yay.

And that’s it that’s my ridiculously long self-indulgent Tales of Graces Lambda-centric Timetravel AU. 

[underthefullmoontw]

Derek (Chapter Twenty Two)

Under the Full Moon {Teen Wolf Fanfiction}

Mainly Scott centric, features Sterica, IsaacxOC and DerekxOC

Stiles's POV

I ran up the steps, onto Erica's porch and started pounding on the door, ringing the doorbell at the same time. Her father answered, an obvious look of worry in his eyes.

"Hello Stiles. Have you seen Erica?"

"No, that's what I came here to ask you, actually. So, she didn't come home?"

"No, she's been gone since yesterday. I thought she was with you."

"I'll go check with Sophie." I lied, feeling sorry for the poor man.

"Thank you Stiles. Please, if you see her, tell her we're not upset with her. Tell her we love her and want her to come home."

"I will. Bye Mr. Reyes." I ran back to my car, calling Scott as I started the Jeep.

"Stiles, was she there?"

"No. Her dad hasn't seen her since the hospital. What are we gonna do?"

"Sophie said she knows how to track her or at least get her to stay still long enough for us to find her."

"How?"

"I don't know! She hasn't answered my texts in like an hour."

"Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

"I'm at the old Hale house, I think I caught her scent around here."

"I'm on my way."

Scott's POV

I sighed in frustration as I sent Sophie another text asking where she was.

"Scott."

I turned to see Derek sitting on the stairs, Erica lounging behind him.

"Erica!"

"Hi Scott." She raised her hand in a wave, smiling. "Was that Stiles on the phone?"

"Erica, we've been worried sick about you."

"Why? No one cared before."

"Yes we did! Stiles did, I did, Sophie did! We still do."

She scoffed, shaking her head slowly. "You guys didn't care about me. You...put up with me because you felt sorry for me. I was just the freak of the school and you threw me a pity party."

"That's not true!"

"Enough!" Derek snapped, his eyes flashing red. Erica immediately backed down, looking away. "Scott, I don't think we've been introduced properly. I'm Derek, the Alpha of this pack. Your Alpha."

"My Alpha?"

"Yes, your Alpha. I was the one that bit you."

"You did this to me? Why? My life was finally going somewhat good. I had just met a girl I really liked, who actually liked me back, lacrosse was just starting to pick up, I was getting better grades, why did you have to ruin it?" I yelled, curling my hands into fists.

"Oh my God. Erica!" a new voice shouted as something bumped into my shoulder. Stiles continued running, pushing past Derek to nearly tackle Erica in a hug. "Scott, why is Derek Hale here?" Stiles asked, lifting his head, although his arms stayed around Erica.

"Derek is our Alpha." Erica said proudly, smiling.

"Derek's a werewolf?"

"Stiles, babe, keep up. Yes, he's a werewolf."

"Wait, ‘our?’ Scott? You're part of his pack too? When did that happen?"

"It didn't. I still need to think about that." I muttered, taking a few steps away from Derek as he shot a glare at me.

"There is no thinking required. I bit you, I'm the only Alpha anywhere near here, I'm your Alpha. End of discussion."

"Why do I need an Alpha?"

"Your girl."

"What about her?"

"You want to protect her, right?"

"Yeah, of course. Why do you keep avoiding my questions?"

"There are a lot of bad things in this world, Scott. Things you couldn't even begin to imagine. You need to be strong if you want to protect her. And if you want to be at the top of your game, you need a pack. I'm offering you a pack, I'm offering you shelter for full moons, I'm offering you training, I'm offering you knowledge, you'd be an idiot to decline."

"Look, can I just think about it? It's kind of a big decision."

"Well think quickly, Scott because time is running out. The hunters are here and it won't take long for them to find us. I need you on my side and you need me on yours."

Author's Note:

Just a side note because this chapter did cause a bit of confusion previously, in this story, Peter wasn’t the one to bite Scott, Derek was

I’ll see you in my next chapter. BYEE!!

Chapter 23 Preview: "Scott, tell me. What's wrong?"

[daisycactus20-blog]

eggplant + tomatoes

I don’t cook eggplants as often as I should. I think I was traumatized by eggplants earlier in my cooking life. Whenever a recipe called for them, they just seemed like too much trouble. Salting them first which didn’t seem to make much sense because I never quite understood what happened to all that salt. Blotting it away with too many paper towels just seemed wasteful.

Then there was the whole frying thing. Eggplants always seemed to absorb WAY too much expensive olive oil. And for what? The result was always kind of greasy, limp, mushy disks or cubes of grayish vegetable.

There was a brief period when I discovered frozen eggplant, one of the few things in the frozen food aisle at the Italian supermarket that was both useful and tasted good. I’d use them to make a quick eggplant parmigiana or even through them into tomato sauce to sneak vegetables into Sophie and Emma’s otherwise pasta-centric meals.

But for the most part eggplants haven’t been part of my go-to repertoire until this summer. Because this is the summer of our magnificent vegetable garden. While we usually have a so-so to good harvest all summer long (heavy on tomatoes and zucchini) this is the year when EVERYTHING is on overdrive. Including eggplants. Because of the wet winter and even damper spring, followed by a coolish June our entire orto is like an enchanted garden. We’re finally coming out from under the zuchini tsunami and are currently experiencing a flash flood of tomatoes.

And even our usually meager and sad patch of eggplants are getting into the act. While in past years I’ve usually harvested 3 to 4 miserable, dry, and bitter purple orbs, this year they are plump, sweet and just keep coming. And they have definitely cured me of my eggplant-phobia.

A few things I’ve come to realize this summer when it comes to me and my eggplants:

Fresher is better: when they eggplants are this fresh you don’t really have to salt them.

Baked is better: I’ve given up on frying eggplant. It’s just too much trouble and even if, when done correctly (which I’ve long since learned how to do) they still use a ton of oil. Also? Who wants to be standing over hot oil on an August afternoon?

Eggplants and tomatoes are the perfect pairing: I know this may seem obvious, but rather than go the eggplant parmigiana route, which pairs cooked down tomatoes and cheese, I’ve lightened things up, and have been pairing copious amounts of chopped fresh tomatoes with any eggplant that will stay still

The following recipe has been on lunch rotation for the last few weeks and is extremely easy. I’ve used any kind and size of eggplant, including small white ones that Domenico planted. They get cut in half, stuffed with garlic, brushed with olive oil and then baked till soft and silky. Once out of the oven they get topped with chopped tomatoes which you can season any way you’d like. Salt and olive oil are givens, but I’ve also been using all sorts of fresh herbs including basil and parsley. I’d use fresh coriander if I had some. A few times I’ve also added a chopped red onion or shallot.

We’ve been eating this all summer long, for lunch, with some crusty bread and either mozzarella or goat cheese. I said the recipe serves six, and you can figure on either one small eggplant per person, or a half of a larger one. And while we’ve been eating them as a main course, I think they would also make a nice antipasto for a bigger meal.

Yield 6

Ingredients

Six small or 3 medium eggplants

3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliceds

Extra virgin olive oil

1 pound / 1/2 kilo of tomatoes

fresh herbs (basil, parsley or coriander

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice the eggplants in half, lengthwise. If the eggplant still have their stem end attached, leave them, just slicing through them.

Using a sharp knife, cut into each eggplant, on the cut side, in a cross hatch pattern, being very careful not to cut all the way through to the skin. You are making slits to stick the garlic into.

Gently insert the garlic slices into the slits of the eggplant. How much garlic you use is up to you. I like it pretty garlicky!

Lay the eggplant on the baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, rubbing it around with your hands. Season the eggplant liberally with salt, and place in oven. Cook until eggplant is very tender and golden. This can take up to one hour. ( a bit less for smaller eggplant.) A fork inserted into the eggplant should go in very easily.

Remove and let cool to room temperature.

In the meantime chop the tomatoes into bite sized pieces and place in a medium sized bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the chopped herb and stir. Let sit for at least 20 minutes.

When ready to serve place the eggplant on a serving platter and cover each one with heaping spoonfuls of tomato, drizzling the accumulated juices as well.

If preparing ahead of time you can roast the eggplant and store, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving and don't perpare the tomatoes until 20 minutes before serving.

Source: http://www.elizabethminchilli.com/2018/08/eggplant-tomatoes/

[underthefullmoontw]

Daydream (Chapter Six)

Under the Full Moon {Teen Wolf Fanfiction}

Mainly Scott centric, features Sterica, IsaacxOC and DerekxOC

Stiles's POV

"Well? Did you do it? Did you kiss her?" I asked as he got into the car.

"More like she kissed me."

"But did you kiss her back?"

"Why wouldn't I kiss her back?" he pointed out, giving me a look.

"True. Wow. I can't believe it, my boy's actually dating out the new girl."

"She's not that new anymore."

"She hasn’t even been here a full two weeks. She's new."

"I just...I feel like I know her. I feel like I can tell her everything and trust her to keep it a secret."

"Yeah, well, if I were you, I wouldn't let her go. If I wasn't in a relationship with Lydia, I would date her."

"You're not with Lydia. Lydia's with Jackson."

"Our relationship's complicated."

"What about Erica? I saw you looking at her the other day."

"She's just a friend. I'm in love with Lydia."

"No, you're not." a new voice said.

I jumped and screamed, turning to see Sophie standing by the door, waiting for Scott to let her in.

"How long have you been there?" I gasped, placing my hand on my chest.

"I got here right around where you said you were in love with Lydia." She climbed into the backseat as Scott helped her in before sitting back down and shutting the car door again.

"Wait. What do you mean? I do love Lydia." I backtracked, staring at her in shock.

"You're in love with the idea of Lydia. You don't even know her, Stiles. What's her favorite color? Her favorite place to eat? Favorite movie?" she listed, a weird glint in her eyes.

"I know all of those things but you don't have to know everything about someone to love them. Look at you and Scott. You've known each for a week and you're basically planning your wedding. What's his favorite color? What's his favorite place to eat? What's his favorite movie?" I snapped back, ignoring the low warning growl coming from Scott.

"Red, Darling's and I am Number Four."

We both stared at her in shock, although a flattered smile appeared on Scott's face.

"Oh don't look so surprised, boys. I pay attention."

"Stalker." I mumbled under my breath, flinching away as Scott glared over at me.

"Says the boy who spent his birthday looking through all of Lydia Martin's instagram photos."

"How do you know that?" I yelled, turning back around to face her.

"Scott told me."

"Dude!"

"What? She did the thing with her eyes and I couldn't help it!" He shrugged as Sophie starting giggling.

"Thing with my eyes? What do I do with my eyes?" she asked, leaning forward in her seat and scooting to the edge.

"You're doing it right now. Whenever you want something, your eyes get really, really big."

"Do they? I've never noticed."

"I'm sure you haven't." I scoffed, starting the car.

"Shut up, Stiles."

I was silent for the rest of the ride, glaring at the road as her and Scott’s chatting seemed to become louder and obnoxious.

"We're here!" I shouted in relief, stopping their banter over whether cats over the age of six months could be called kittens or not.

"H-hi Stiles." I heard Erica mumble shyly, almost inaudibly.

I waved Scott and Sophie on, rolling my eyes as they took each other's hands and raced into the school. "Hey Erica." I turned and smiled at her. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to say hi."

"Cool. Well, hi."

"Hi."

There were a few moments of silence before she started to leave.

"Hey, wait! Do you...maybe...wanna see a movie on Friday?" I had no idea what I was doing, I was supposed to be waiting for Lydia but in that moment, Lydia was forgotten.

"Like...a date?"

"Yeah. I mean, if you're cool with that. We can go as friends."

"A date sounds fun. Really fun. Um, F-Friday?"

"Yeah, I'll pick you up at seven."

Erica's POV

A date. What if I mess it up?

I bumped into someone and quickly started apologizing.

"Oh, it's okay. I'm Sophie. Nice to meet you." The beautiful girl extended her hand to me and I carefully shook it, worried she would soon turn on me.

I had once bumped into one of the popular girls and she had called me clumsy and made me carry her bags for a week.

"You must be Erica. Stiles talks about you all the time."

"H-he does?" I looked up at her, hoping she wouldn't start laughing.

"Yeah, he really likes you."

"Soph, we're gonna be late to class. Oh hey Erica." Scott took her hand the second he was next to her, smiling at me.

"Hi." I said weakly, raising my hand in a wave.

"I'll see you in gym. Bye." He waved back and started pulling Sophie away, groaning when she wouldn't move.

"Here, I'll give you my number." She reached into my bag and pulled out my phone, clicking away before she tucked it back into its pocket and left with Scott.

Wow. Did people actually like me? Almost the second I had that thought, I was pushed into the lockers by a jock.

"Loser!"

They all laughed and walked away, leaving me against the lockers. I felt tears begin to well up as I let myself fall to the ground, hiding my face in my knees.

"Hey, are you okay?" a voice asked as I hesitantly looked up to see Stiles standing in front of me, a concerned look on his face.

"I-I'm fine." I wiped at my cheeks as I started to get up, a slight blush tinting my cheeks as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. "Thank you."

"No problem. And by the way, you're not a loser."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, don’t listen to them. All they care about is how muscled they can get and how many girls they can sleep with. You're really cool, way better than they could ever be. I have to go to class but I'll see you later? Maybe you can sit with us at lunch."

"Sure."

He waved his goodbye and left. I smiled and played with my hair before heading off to class.

Scott's POV

Class was hard. Normally it was difficult enough with her just sitting next to me but now she was holding my hand and passing me notes and whispering in my ear, the two of us in our little world. Her scent was driving me crazy. She'd obviously put on some sort of perfume and it smelt like apples, or maybe that was her hair.

"Mr. McCall?" a voice called, interrupting my silent argument with myself over whether it was her hair or her perfume.

"Yeah?"

"Am I boring you?"

"No, sir."

"Good. Pay attention." He returned to the board, resuming his boring speech.

Sophie passed me another little note, smiling to herself. “Thinking about me?”

I avoided her gaze in embarrassment, a sheepish smile appearing on my face as she only let her own smile widen.

"Is that a yes?" she whispered, leaning even closer. "Don't worry. I was thinking about you too."

The bell rang, making us realize we were still in a crowded room with Stiles trying his best to ignore us. I let out a breathe I hadn't realized I was holding, grabbing her books for her as we started walking towards the art classroom.

"So, what was it about?" she asked, her arms wrapped around one of mine.

"What was what about?"

"Your little daydream. Judging by your reaction to me asking, I was in it, but what was going on?"

"I wasn't daydreaming."

"Come on, Scott. I'll tell you about mine."

"So you go first."

"In mine, we were on a beach." She pulled us to a stop, taking the books from my hands and setting them on her desk. "Your arms were here." She took hold of my arms and wrapped them around her waist. "And my arms were here." She reached up to wind her arms around my neck, smiling as she leaned onto her toes to try to even out the height different. "And your lips were here." Then she pressed her soft lips to mine, her hands sliding into my hair.

"What a wonderful dream." I muttered into the kiss, focusing on keeping my heartbeat calm.

"Hmm, it was. What was yours?"

"Actually, I was wondering if the apple smell coming from you was shampoo or perfume." I admitted, waiting to see her reaction.

"Oh, it's shampoo." The expression on her face was slightly flattered but confused, her brow furrowing.

"It's nice."

"I’ll use it more often then."

The teacher started the class, making us separate and get into our seats to pay attention to what she was saying.

"Alright class, in your seats. Now since everyone had such a great response to the portraits, I've decided we're going to do more of them. Only this time, add in some color. You can use chalks, paints, whatever medium you prefer. I want them in by next Friday, same deal as last time. Three angles, no tracing, have a good day." The teacher waved us all out, smiling.

"My place again?" Sophie offered, taking my hand in her smaller one.

"Um, sure."

"You know, now that I think of it, I haven't seen your house yet. Make it your place."

"Oh, um, no we should go to yours. It's much...cleaner."

"Scott, there's a couch in my kitchen. If that's your definition of clean, I'm worried."

"It's just...baby pictures." I slumped in defeat, sighing.

"Just think of it as revenge."

Author's Note:

A bit of Sterica and some Scott+Sophie!! If you have any ship name ideas, please let me know!! On Wattpad, I think I used Scophie but I’m open to new ideas as well:D

I will see you in my next chapter. BYEE!!!

Chapter 7 Preview: “Aww, baby I can change. Don’t be that way!”